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VIP on selected river cruises
Discover the delights of the Danube and see the Passion Play at Oberammergau
Every ten years, the small village of Oberammergau in the Bavarian Alps stages what is regarded as the most important passion play in the world. The next performance will take place in 2022, when an estimated audience of some 500,000 people will watch one of the 102 performances taking place in the village. After flying to Munich, you’ll transfer to Oberammergau and take your seat at the passion play for this once-in-a-lifetime experience. You can then look forward to a seven-night river cruise aboard Spirit of the Danube taking you through Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary.
The play was first performed in 1634 after plague struck the inhabitants of Oberammergau the year before. The villagers vowed that if God would spare them, they would perform a Passion Play every 10 years. Miraculously, there were no further plague victims and the play has been performed every ten years thereafter in fulfilment of the promise (with just a couple of uncontrollable exceptions). Enacting the ‘…suffering, death and resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ’ and starting with Jesus’ entrance to Jerusalem, this extraordinary event involves nearly half of Oberammergau’s inhabitants, all of whom (excluding children) will have been residents for at least 20 years and who will take roles ranging from actors and singers, to stage design, props and chorus. In anticipation of the play, Oberammergau men taking part will start to grow their hair and beards from Ash Wednesday of the previous year, following the village “Beard and Hair Edict”, with rehearsals commencing later in the year. From the play’s origins to its outstanding ‘tableaux’, performances and the spectacle of up to 1500 actors on stage, the Oberammergau Passion Play offers a unique experience – the perfect concluding highlight to a memorable holiday.
Including...
7 nights Full Board aboard the ship, 2 nights Half Board in a hotel
24 meals: 9 breakfasts, 6 lunches and 9 dinners
Wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner on board the ship
Saga Team
Plus, all this...
- Drinks reception and Captain’s dinner
- Complimentary Wi-Fi on board
- All gratuities on board
- Return flights and transfers
- Expert Host in Oberammergau
- Official Passion Play Programme
Included excursions
- Attend the Oberammergau Passion Play
- Entrance to the Oberammergau Museum
- Tour of Budapest or Unique Experience: Culinary walking tour of Budapest
- Sightseeing tour of Vienna or Unique Experience: Culinary walking tour of Vienna
- Passau city walk
Interactive maps and audio headsets for independent exploration
Please note
Some of the highlights may only be seen on optional excursions at an additional cost, or by exploring independently.
🎧 Interactive maps and headsets available for exploring independently in Regensburg, Passau, Melk, Dürnstein, Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest.
The Danube
from £2,649 per person2 passengers
9 nights Including optional travel insurance or a price reduction of £54 if not required
The Danube
from £2,649 per person2 passengers
9 nights Including optional travel insurance or a price reduction of £54 if not required